1. Remove turkey from wrapping.
2. Remove giblet bag; set giblets aside (these later get cooked up for the dog).
3. Put turkey onto truss. Pat turkey dry. Stuff turkey (we usually do traditional bread stuffing, but the move is towards aromatics, and I might try that this year).
4. Rub turkey with softened butter. Sprinkle salt and pepper onto turkey.
5. Tent turkey with foil.
6. Put turkey in oven.
7. Roast for an hour and a half or more, depending on size of bird. Meanwhile, prepare basting butter--several sprigs of rosemary and thyme with some sage leaves, roughly chopped, as well as 1 fresh bay leaf, put into melted butter.
8. Untent turkey, brush with basting butter, put turkey back in oven.
9. Continue to roast according to per-pound cooking time, basting every so often.
10. Insert meat thermometer 15 minutes before anticipated end of cooking time. Cook until temperature of meat reaches 180 degrees and stuffing is 165. (Though I will probably lower my cooking temperature this year, given that:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Even...6_01/index.asp)
11. Take turkey out to rest, tenting foil over turkey. The turkey rests while I finish baking the stuffing that didn't go into the turkey, the sweet potatoes, and the green bean casserole. This usually takes about half an hour, though you can leave the turkey covered for an hour and it will stay hot.